Poetry in Motion
by Luz Maria
Summary: Yep, this is another songfic. Andromeda spies on Harper while he's dancing. I decided to lengthen it a bit. Please review. Note: Rating now PG-13 for language.
1. Dolby

The characters from "Andromeda" are not mine. They belong to the late Gene Roddenberry and Tribune Entertainment. I'm only borrowing them. If you want to repost this anywhere, please ask me.   
  
The lyrics are from the song "She's blinded me with Science" by Thomas Dolby. I can no longer hear the song without thinking of Andromeda.   
  
  
  
  
  
Harper sat on the floor, his nanowelder in hand, looking at the mess of parts for the minibots before him. He'd been at this little project of hers for a few hours, now. His head was beginning to hurt from the caffeine withdrawal so he felt he needed a Sparky in the worst way.   
  
"Andromeda," he said, rubbing his temples. "Can I take a break?"  
  
Andromeda's form appeared in front of him. "OK, but don't take too long. You promised." She blinked out of existence again.  
  
"Yeah yeah." Harper walked over to the food replicator, stifling a yawn. "Two Sparky colas, please." The Sparky cans appeared and he snapped open the cap one. He finished it in one gulp and grabbed the other. "Hey, I think a little music would help move things along. Rommie, play personal music file no. 248."  
  
The music started to play. This was much better, he thought, and picked up his nanowelder again.  
  
  
It's poetry in motion  
she turned her tender eyes to me  
as deep as any ocean  
as sweet as any harmony  
mm - but she blinded me with science  
"she blinded me with science!"  
and failed me in biology  
  
  
Harper smiled to himself. He found this particular song recently in Rommie's archives on ancient Earth music. Harper found it appropriate considering who was working him to the bone to get these minibots for the hull done. He continued to work on the minibots and moved a little to the music.   
  
  
When I'm dancing close to her  
"blinding me with science - science!"  
I can smell the chemicals  
"blinding me with science - science!"  
"Science!"  
"Science!"  
  
  
Andromeda's form reappeared in miniature on one of the tables and her head tilted to one side as she watched Harper. She has never danced in any form, and wondered what it would be like to do so. She watched Harper move to the music.   
  
  
mm - but it's poetry in motion  
and when she turned her eyes to me  
as deep as any ocean  
as sweet as any harmony  
mm - but she blinded me with science  
and failed me in geometry  
  
When she's dancing next to me  
"blinding me with science - science!"  
"Science!"  
I can hear machinery "blinding me with science - science!"  
"Science!"  
  
  
What an odd little song, thought Rommie as she watched Harper move to the music and work, stopping occasionally to take a sip from his Sparky.   
  
  
It's poetry in motion  
and now she's making love to me  
the spheres're in commotion  
the elements in harmony  
she blinded me with science  
"she blinded me with science!"  
and hit me with technology   
  
  
Rommie tilted her head to one side and thought about the words to the song as it played. Not much of it made sense to her. Several of the phrases, like the pairing of the words making and love would have to be cross referenced for their meaning later.   
  
Harper continued to dance as the music played out. He wondered how much of it Rommie would understand. Then again he wonders a lot about Rommie in general. Like how much fun it would be to actually dance with the avatar he created of her, or to kiss the avatar, or...  
  
  
"good heavens Miss Sakamoto - you're beautiful!"  
I - I don't believe it!  
there she goes again!  
she's tidied up, and I can't find anything!  
all my tubes and wires  
and careful notes  
and antiquated notions  
  
  
Jesus, what a mess, thought Rommie. I'll have to clean this place up on his next outing.  
  
  
but! - it's poetry in motion  
and when she turned her eyes to me  
as deep as any ocean  
as sweet as any harmony  
mm - but she blinded me with science  
"she blinded me with - with science!"  
she blinded me with -  
  
  
The music slowly began to fade and Harper took one last slug of his Sparky. That was when he noticed Rommie's hologram watching her. "Uh, hi."  
  
"Hi." Andromeda smiled. They stood staring at each other for a few moments.   
  
"Ok, how long have you been there?"  
  
"I came back about 30.5 seconds after you opened that archive file. What's it like to dance?"  
  
The question stunned Harper. He expected her to break into laughter, not ask him what it's like to dance. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before responding. "Uh, it's a lot of fun, actually. You should try it sometime." Harper put the nanowelder down. "You're not going to tell anyone you saw me dance, are you? I'm not very good at it."  
  
Rommie shook her head and smiled. "Not if you connect with your cerebral port and dance with me later. Now get back to work, I want to be able to eat off my hull." The hologram shut herself off.   
  
Harper made sure Rommie's hull was the cleanest it had ever been.   
  
  
  
--End--  



	2. Mac

Disclaimer: See chapter one.  
Lyrics to "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac.   
  
  
  
  
Rommie walked up and down the halls of her ship, slowly inspecting every bit of her interior. She was already pleased with the diagnostic she ran on the hull after Harper cleaned it for her.   
  
Her hologram appeared in front of her. "He did an exceptional job, don't you think?"  
  
Rommie nodded at her hologram and brushed her finger against the wall to check for dirt, but found none. "Yes, he did. He even designed minibots to work on the inside this time. So, are we going to dance with him?"  
  
The holograph sighed. "Yes, but I need a bit of time to create the proper simulation. Not to mention decide on music. I'm not sure what would be appropriate. Any ideas?"  
  
Rommie shook her head. "Not really, but we can look in that music archive he's been rooting around in and select a couple of songs."  
  
The hologram nodded. "I'll work on the simulation. You pick the songs." The hologram shut off.   
  
  
***********  
  
  
Rommie found Harper on the mess deck about an hour later. He was sitting at a table eating a sandwich and drinking a cup of coffee. She took a seat across from him. "Hi."  
  
"Hi Rommie. I'll get to the slipstream drive maintenance in about an hour or so."  
  
"I'm not here about the drive. I'm here about my offer to dance with you," Rommie smiled.  
  
Harper blushed. "Oh yeah. So when is the big event?"  
  
Rommie smirked. "Harper, it's just a request for a dance. But since you asked, I was thinking tonight, my quarters. We can connect you to my mainframe from there."  
  
Harper looked disappointed. "Rommie, you mean I'm not gonna dance with you for real?"  
  
Rommie blinked as she processed the information. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, dancing isn't something you just set up a program for. You really have to experience it as an avatar to get the most out of it. Otherwise it's just a simulation, and I wouldn't have to even be there, then what's the point?" Harper leaned in close so no one else could hear. "Besides, you've seen my moves already. You know I can't dance that well. I'm not about to critique you here."  
  
Rommie nodded. "Alright, then we do this for real then. My quarters, around eight. And wear something nice."  
  
"I'll be there." Harper finished his lunch and left.   
  
Rommie pursed her lips slightly 'This is going to be harder to try out than I thought. I'm going to have to get some help here.' Rommie ran down the list of other crew members she could ask for a lesson and arrived at one person she felt comfortable asking: Trance. Her only worry was what excuse to give without having to explain why she needed to learn to dance. Rommie thought about what to say for a second, then went looking for her in hydroponics.   
  
  
***********  
  
  
"You want to learn how to dance? I love dancing! But, why the sudden interest?" Trance twitched her tail a bit.   
  
Rommie gave the excuse she prepared. "I thought that at some of the dinners we have with officials, some music should be played so that people could dance. In that case, I figured it would be a good idea if I knew how."  
  
"Oh, okay. When did you want to start?"  
  
"I have some time right now if you do."  
  
"Sure. Could you play personal file No. 40?" Andromeda started the file and engaged privacy mode so they wouldn't be disturbed. "Okay, all you need to do is watch what I'm doing and see if you can follow me." Trance began to sway her hips and move her arms and legs to the music. Rommie watched, noting that Trance's style was more fluid and graceful than Harper's. After a few seconds she began to move in imitation of what she was seeing.   
  
  
so i'm back to the velvet underground  
back to the floor that i love  
to a room with some lace and peper flowers  
back to the gypsy...that i was...to the gypsy...that i was...  
  
and it all comes down to you  
well you know that it does, well...  
lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice...  
oh....and it lights up the night....  
and you see your gypsy.......  
you see your gypsy....  
  
  
"There you go, you're doing fine, Rommie." Trance giggled, enjoying herself.   
  
  
to the gypsy......  
that remains.....  
she faces freedom......  
with a little fear.....  
well i have no fear....  
i have only love.....  
and if i was a child....  
and the child was enough.....  
enough for me to love....  
enough to love......  
  
  
Rommie began to lose herself in the music and the movements. She smiled. Harper was right, this was fun.   
  
"Okay, let's try this with you using me as your partner." Trance wrapped her arm around Rommie and took one hand in hers so she could guide them both around the hydroponics bay.   
  
  
she is dancing away from you now  
she was just a wish  
she was just....a wish  
and her memory is all that is left for you now  
you see your gypsy.....  
you see your gypsy.....  
  
lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice....  
(and it all comes down to you)  
oooooo......oh......well it all comes down to you....  
(lightning strikes...maybe once....maybe twice....  
oh.............  
i still see your bright eyes......(bright eyes)...  
and i've always loved you....  
and it all comes down to you  
it all comes down to you.....  
  
  
The music faded and the file ended. Trance said, "See, that wasn't too hard, now was it?"  
  
Rommie shook her head. "What about other forms of music, you know, styles that have a faster tempo?"  
  
"Well I suppose you could ask someone like Harper or Beka about that. They listen to a lot more of the ancient Earth music than I do. Then again, I don't think Harper ever dances. I could show you how to slow dance, though. That's probably more appropriate for official dinners anyway."  
  
"Alright, show me."  
  
  
**********  
  
  
Rommie checked her reflection in the mirror one more time. The red dress she wore and black shoes were from some of the personal effects of the old crew. She knew Dylan allowed some of the new crew access to some of the clothing before, but she still felt a bit funny to be out of uniform like this. Even so, she did like the overall effect the dress had on her appearance. That done, she took a moment to move some of the furniture out of the way so that she and Harper would have enough space to dance around in. Her lesson with Trance earlier that day had been well worth the effort but she stepped on Trance's tail a couple of times while slow dancing. She didnt want to step on Harper's toes if possible.   
  
She heard a knock. "Come in."  
  
"Rommie, I was wondering if we could go over these logs and I ... Rommie?"  
  
Rommie turned to the source of the voice. It was Dylan. "Yes, Captain?"  
  
"You're... in a dress. Out of uniform." Dylan looked a bit surprised.   
  
Rommie nodded. "I'm expecting company, sir."  
  
"Oh, I'll come back later then." Dylan turned to leave.  
  
"If this is an emergency, Captain we can talk."  
  
"No, no." Dylan stammered a bit. "You're busy, and this can definitely wait. In fact we don't have to talk about this at all until morning." He left.   
  
Rommie frowned slightly. This is just a dance, isn't it?  
  
  
  
-- END CH. 2--  
  
Let me know what you think, thanks.   



	3. Gabriel

Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1  
Lyrics for "Play that Funky Music" written by White Cherry, Lyrics for "In your eyes" written by Peter Gabriel  
  
  
  
  
  
Harper stood at his closet door in a towel and surveyed the line of Hawaiian shirts in front of him, shaking his head. "This sucks. I've got to have something better than this." He thought about it for a second and closed his closet door. Moving over to a recessed drawer he opened it and pulled out a navy silk shirt and some black slacks. This wasn't what he would have liked to wear, but they will have to do. He put them on and ran his fingers through his hair. "I hope you're not overdressing for this, Seamus."  
  
"Well for dinner it's a bit much, but you've already missed it."  
  
Harper turned to the door. Beka. Shit. "Dinner...oh, man, I forgot about dinner. I'm sorry Beka, I had something else I had to do."  
  
"We was getting a bit worried about you when you didn't show up. So, what's with the get up?" Beka tilted her head to one side.   
  
"I uh... was just wondering if this still fit. You know how often we get planetside for fun nowadays and I wanna look good for the ladies next time we do." Harper flushed a bit. He didn't want to have tell Beka he had to go see Rommie in a few minutes for a bit of dancing.   
  
"Oh, I see. Well, I have this for you." Beka handed him one of her ancient music disks. "It's the disco archive disk you wanted to borrow from me last week."  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate it." He smiled at her. "Well, I got a project down in engineering, so..."  
  
"You're not wearing that to engineering, are you?"  
  
Harper looked down and saw he was still wearing the silk shirt. "Well, no, I'm going to change out of this first but if you want to stay for the show you can." He leered at his other captain.   
  
Beka rolled her eyes. "I'll pass. Later, Harper." She left.   
  
Harper sighed and looked at the archive disk. He put it in the player and turned it on. The music started, and Harper sat down to listen.   
  
  
Once I was a boogie singer   
Playin' in a Rock 'n Roll band   
I never had no problems   
Runnin' down the one nightstands   
And everything around me   
Got to start to feelin' so low   
And I decided quickly   
To disco down and check out the show  
  
Yea they were dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'   
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted  
Chorus Play that funky music white boy   
Play that funky music right   
Play that funky music white boy   
Lay down and the boogie and play that funky music 'til you die   
  
  
"So this is what disco sounded like," Harper shrugged. "I don't see what the deal is." He shut if off before it finished. It was time to go anyway. He put on his shoes and left his quarters, heading over to Rommie's. He took a slightly longer, and quieter route through the corridors. Not that he didn't want to be seen, exactly, but he didn't want to be questioned about why he was wearing this particular outfit again. He reached Rommie's door without anyone seeing him.   
  
This is it, he thought, and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," Rommie said from inside, and the door to her quarters opened. Harper leaned against the doorframe and looked inside.   
  
First thing he noticed was that Rommie spent time moving the furniture around in her quarters so that they had a space to dance.   
  
Second thing he noticed was Rommie. She was wearing a dark red halter-top dress that flared out a bit at the waist and black satin shoes. Some, but not all of her hair was pinned up and out of her face. Good thing he wasn't underdressed. She was beautiful.   
  
Damn, he thought. "Wow, you clean up good!" is what he actually said.   
  
Rommie looked around her room, then back at Harper. "But I always keep my quarters clean."  
  
Harper smirked. "It's an old Earth expression. It means you look," Don't piss her off, Seamus, not now. "really nice."  
  
"Why thank you. Can I get you something to drink, or are you going to hold up the wall for the rest of the night?"  
  
Harper blinked and moved into her quarters. The door closed behind him. "Uh... a cup of coffee, black."  
  
Rommie nodded and made him the coffee. Harper just stared out the viewport from her quarters. This is it, I'm going to dance with her, he thought with a grin. He felt something he hadn't since he first had to beat someone to steal food from them on Earth as a kid. Butterflies in his stomach. Rommie gave him the cup and he drank.   
  
"It's too bad that you didn't program me with tastebuds. I've always wondered what coffee tastes like."  
  
"It wasn't in the avatar specs. It was the only thing I found lacking. The specs focused more on bone and tissue like structures than the senses for my taste. At least you have an advanced sense of touch, sight, hearing, and smell."  
  
"True. So what does coffee taste like?"  
  
Harper looked at the cup. "Like it smells. Earthy and intense. Hmm, maybe I should design some taste buds for you if I ever get a moment. It must suck not being able to taste anything." He put down the cup and turned to Rommie. "So, shall we?"  
  
Rommie smiled and played what she called Archive File No. 93884503. Harper slipped an arm around her, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back. He took her other hand in hers. "I'll lead," he said.   
  
  
love I get so lost, sometimes  
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart  
when I want to run away  
I drive off in my car  
but whichever way I go  
I come back to the place you are  
  
all my instincts, they return  
and the grand facade, so soon will burn  
without a noise, without my pride  
I reach out from the inside  
  
in your eyes  
the light the heat  
in your eyes  
I am complete  
in your eyes  
I see the doorway to a thousand churches  
in your eyes  
the resolution of all the fruitless searches  
in your eyes  
I see the light and the heat  
in your eyes  
oh, I want to be that complete  
I want to touch the light  
the heat I see in your eyes  
  
Harper twirled Rommie around the room. "So... Rommie, why did you want to dance with me? Not that I can't think of better ways of paying off a bribe for keeping a secret, mind you."  
  
Rommie leaned back a bit and looked at him. "I wanted the experience. And I wanted to thank you."  
  
"Thank me?"  
  
"For keeping all of me in working order. And for making this avatar for me." Rommie's head come to rest on his shoulder. He patted her head with his hand.   
  
  
love, I don't like to see so much pain  
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away  
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival  
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive  
  
and all my instincts, they return  
and the grand facade, so soon will burn  
without a noise, without my pride  
I reach out from the inside  
  
in your eyes  
the light the heat  
in your eyes  
I am complete  
in your eyes  
I see the doorway to a thousand churches  
in your eyes  
the resolution of all the fruitless searches  
in your eyes  
I see the light and the heat  
in your eyes  
oh, I want to be that complete  
I want to touch the light,  
the heat I see in your eyes  
in your eyes in your eyes  
in your eyes in your eyes  
in your eyes in your eyes  
  
  
Harper moved his hand down her spine a little bit. He knew what she was made out of: microtubes stringed together to simulate muscle and some organs, a synthetic liquid in order for her to carry data impulses throughout her body, a computer for a brain, and a metal alloy skeleton. All held together by synthetic skin and hair. After all he did create the avatar. A little too stiff to feel human to the touch, but close to it. Close enough to fool anyone other than an engineer, he thought.   
  
"Rommie, you don't have to thank me. I wanted to do it." Harper took a deep breath. "Think of it this way. An engineer, or an artist of any kind, wants to create. Well, that's my reason for becoming one. Anyway, when I saw the specs for the avatar, I wanted to create it. If for nothing else, than to know I can make something this complicated. I like to think of you as my opus, at least until the next big thing."   
Rommie gave him a look.   
  
"Rommie, I'm not bullshitting you." He grinned at her.   
  
"I know. I still owe you my thanks." She planted a tap on his lips and smiled at him.   
  
Harper blushed. Ok, Seamus, this is getting weird Break time. "You know what, I skipped dinner. Wanna join me on mess deck for a sandwich? We could work on giving you taste buds afterwards."  
  
"I'd like that." They parted and he took her hand. The door to her quarters opened and they walked through.   
  
From Harper's perspective, straight into Dylan's fist.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
--END-  
  
(Questions, comments? Wanna tell me to shut up?? :-D)  
  
  



	4. The Fight

Disclaimer: See chapter 1  
Unlike my other chapters, this one will not have any song lyrics in it.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harper landed on the floor hard. His jaw hurt like hell, and though he only got a glimpse of who is attacker was, but he was sure it was Dylan when he heard him bellow above him.  
  
"Just what in the Hell do you think you are doing to my ship?!" Dylan screamed. Harper wasn't sure but he could smell something... tequila, maybe.   
  
Next thing Harper felt was a kick in the ribs. Then a second one in the back.  
  
"Ow! Shit."  
  
"Dylan, stop it," he heard Rommie say before he felt another kick in his ribs. He felt his body lift slightly from the floor. After that he didn't feel much of anything, but he heard someone being slammed into the wall.  
  
"Oof!!"  
  
"I said stop it." Harper opened his eyes and saw Rommie had Dylan up against the wall. "Just what do you think you are doing?"  
  
"I don't want him distracting you from your duties." Dylan's voice sounded slurred.   
  
"Distracting me? Damn it, I'm capable of performing hundreds of tasks every day simultaneously. I'm performing most of those tasks right now. What the hell do you mean, he's distracting me?"  
  
Harper heard footsteps coming fast, followed by a gasp, behind him. "What happened?"  
  
Rommie looked in Harper's direction, but not at Harper. "Trance. I need you to take Harper down to med deck and have him checked. Dylan and I need to talk.   
  
Harper felt Trance's hands under his arms, lifting him into a sitting position. He felt his arm being pulled over her shoulder and his body lifted off the floor. Slowly, he managed to stand and was directed to the medical deck.   
  
  
*************   
  
  
"Hold still Harper," Trance said as she cleaned his cut lip.  
  
Harper tried to keep still, but it was hurting a lot. He didn't need a mirror to tell him how badly that one punch busted his lip. If the nanobots didn't heal this cut, he knew Trance would have to do an ancient technique to care for the wound. It involved a reopening of the wound followed by micro stitches. And those itched like nobody's business. "It hurts, Trance."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry Harper." Trance pouted as she continued to clean his wound. "So let me get this straight. Rommie caught you dancing."  
  
Harper winced as Trance applied more antiseptic to his lip. "Ow. Yeah, that's right."  
  
"And she asked you to dance with her."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"And then she kissed you, then Dylan punched you."  
  
"That's about it in a nutshell."  
  
"I don't believe you." Trance tossed a blood soaked cloth into a bowl. She looked a little angry.   
  
"Trance, I'm not lying to you. That's really how it happened."  
  
Trance made a face. "Look, the scanner said you have a couple of cracked ribs and I need to inject the nanobots. Can you open your shirt please?"  
  
Harper sighed. He had a feeling no one would believe him, even his best friend, if he told her what happened. Without further argument he opened up his shirt.   
  
  
************   
  
  
Rommie pushed Dylan into his quarters. She was so angry it took her a few moments to process the condition of his room. Dylan's normally neat and organized quarters looked as if they had been ransacked. Tables and chairs were overturned, a few pictures were broken, and even the picture of Sara he kept on his desk was smashed. A broken bottle of tequila was on the floor; its contents were spilled onto the carpet.   
  
"Just what were you thinking, Captain?" she demanded.   
  
Dylan turned, a bit unsteadily to Rommie. She didn't know what made him steady enough to beat up on Harper, adrenaline or whatever it was, but it was gone now. Now he just seemed tired, perhaps even a bit shaky.   
  
"Rommie, I ... he was ..."  
  
"He was an invited guest to my quarters for coffee, Dylan. I don't need to tell you what I do with my off time, let alone with who." Rommie put her hands on her hips. "Now, do you want to tell me why you decided to use him as a punching bag?"  
  
Dylan looked genuinely hurt. He moved close to Rommie. She could still detect the smell of tequila on his breath. "You're my ship." He moved in to kiss her, but she turned her head.   
  
"Captain, you can't. Commonwealth protocol..."  
  
"Don't you ever get tired of protocol?" He looked at her, his eyes bloodshot.   
  
"I don't get tired, sir." Rommie didn't feel comfortable with this all of a sudden. If Dylan tried to touched her in his state, it was bound to affect their professional relationship. So Rommie gently placed her hand on his chest and pushed him away from her. "Dylan, you need to rest. Please."  
  
Surprisingly Dylan backed off and headed for bed without another word. Rommie made a face and headed for the medical deck.   
  
  
*************   
  
  
When Rommie reached medical, Harper was asleep. She stood there and watched him as he slept, his breathing deep and slow like a child's. The top three buttons of his shirt were open and there were a few small bloodstains on his shirt. Trance was in the back cleaning up. Rommie decided to talk to her first.   
  
"So how is he?"  
  
Trance turned to Rommie. "He'll be ok in another hour or so. He has a couple of cracked ribs, a bruised jaw and a busted lip, but the nanobots are taking care of it. How is Dylan?"  
  
"Drunk. And I think it's my fault, Trance." Rommie sat down.   
  
Trance finished putting the instruments away. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Go on."  
  
"When you asked me to teach you how to dance today, was it so you could dance with Harper?"   
  
"Yes. I wanted to impress him. He created me, and I wanted to say thank you."  
  
"Is that why you kissed him?" Trance sat down and looked at her.   
  
"Partly. I think I may be attracted to him. It's kind of like he grows on you." Rommie rested her head in her hands.   
  
"I know what you mean. When I met Harper, I didn't like him that much because he seemed way too selfish. But he can be really sweet too. Like that time when some guy tried to hit on me in a bar, and wouldn't take no for an answer. He asked me to whip him with my tail, and Harper got so mad he stood up to him. And the guy was twice his size. He could have been killed."  
  
Rommie tilted her head and noticed that Trance's tail was twitching more than usual. "You like him."  
  
Trance made a face Rommie couldn't quite read into. "I like everyone here. Harper is my best friend."  
  
Rommie nodded and looked over at Harper. "I'll stay with him and make sure he gets back to his quarters. You go to bed."  
  
Trance stood to go. When she got to the door, Rommie said, "Trance, thank you for the lesson today. And for treating Harper."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
  
*************   
  
  
Harper opened his eyes and found himself in med deck again. What illness did I wind up with this time, he thought. Then he remembered dancing with Rommie and Dylan beating him up. I always suspected he had a repressed thing for Rommie, but damn...  
  
"Hey", he heard Rommie's voice say. She was still in that dress.  
  
"Hey beautiful." Harper sat up and found his ribs hurt only a little bit. "How long was I asleep?"  
  
"About an hour or so. I sent Trance to bed."  
  
"What about Dylan?"  
  
"He's sleeping off the tequila right about now. How do you feel?"  
  
"Like crap. So, is this going to happen every time I get to dance with you?"  
  
Rommie smiled. "I hope not." Rommie took a seat next to Harper on the bed with her back turned to him. "I'm sorry he punched you."  
  
"It's ok. You can't control anyone you know." Harper tried to smile, but winced. His lip still hurt. "I kind of wondered how he felt for you."  
  
"I had no idea. He was drunk when he punched you, so I still don't know for sure." Rommie started to rub her hands slowly as if she was applying lotion to them. "I noticed when I kissed you earlier, you tensed. Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"No. It was... unexpected. I'm used to you rejecting me with some witty remark, not kissing me. So now what?"   
  
Rommie continued to look ahead. "Would it hurt your feelings if I told you I really didn't know?"  
  
Harper scooted over and rested his head on her shoulder. Rommie continued to look ahead. "Would it complicate your decision if I told you the same thing?" Rommie shook her head.   
  
"I think Trance likes you."  
  
"I know she does. But she keeps her distance and her past private, and I don't know how to handle that."  
  
"And I can not pursue anything with Dylan even if I felt something..."  
  
"Which you do." Rommie turned and looked at Harper. "I programmed your facial expressions and body language, remember? I know what they mean."  
  
"Commonwealth protocol prohibits..."  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah... I know, the protocols have to be upheld, at least between you two. We had this discussion while I was making your avatar, remember? The point is, you have the hots for him, and I think he feels the same way for you."  
  
Rommie blinked and processed the implications of this. True, Harper programmed her movements and facial expressions, but if he could see this, and he's can be pretty clueless, then what do the others see? "Where does this leave us?"  
  
Harper thought about this for a while. Finally he said, "Close friends? I mean, a relationship with a babe like you would be like a dream. But, we both have feelings for other people we have to take care of first, don't we? And I don't want to hurt you." Harper wrapped his arm around her and gave her a hug.   
  
"Friends." Rommie smiled. "Do we still get to dance on occasion?"  
  
"If you can keep anyone else from beating me up, sure. Do I get to kiss you again?"  
  
"Maybe, if you behave. I'll walk you to your room."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
--END--   
  
(Well this is it. I'm done. I may pick up on this again at a later date, but I have other ideas I want to work on first. Hope you enjoyed it. - LuzMaria)  



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